Cawthron Foundation.

Cawthron Foundation is a charitable trust established by Cawthron Institute to further support science, New Zealand and the environment through the philanthropy of others.

Cawthron Foundation is a registered charity (charity no. CC28711). Donations and gifts to the Foundation help us deliver research into areas important to New Zealanders and support emerging and talented New Zealand scientists.

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Elizabeth Bean
Foundation Manager

Bob Dickinson
Trustee

A passionate Nelsonian, Bob did a BSc at Canterbury University and then worked at the Department of Trade and Industry before moving into management positions in the manufacturing industry.

He went on to receive diplomas in management, business administration and industrial relations before moving home as CEO of the newly formed Tasman District Council, a position he held for 17 years. He was also a Director at Port Nelson Ltd for 13 years and Chief Executive of Tasman Bays Heritage Trust. He's the Chairman of the Cawthron Institute Trust Board and a member of the Nelson Marlborough Conservation Board.

Moving back to the region allowed Bob to pursue his passion for the outdoors, and in their spare time he and his wife love tramping, skiing, recreational boating, climbing and mountain biking.

Cawthron combines two of Bob's special interests – history and the great outdoors.

Dr Morgan Williams
Chair

Morgan grew up on a dairy farm in Canterbury and shifted to Nelson in 2012. He has degrees in ecology from the universities of Canterbury (BSc and MSc) and Bath (PhD), and an honorary doctorate in natural resources from Lincoln University.

Morgan has held research, policy and leadership positions for high profile organisations throughout the South Pacific, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (21 years), and as New Zealand's Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (10 years).

He chairs the World Wide Fund for Nature in New Zealand, and holds several other trustee and advisory positions for various environment-focused organisations. Morgan has a great interest in how people think about the natural world and thus influence the political, social and economic management of the natural capital we all depend on.

Morgan's wife, Pam, is also a Trustee of Cawthron Institute.

Elizabeth Bean
Administrator

Elizabeth provides strategic and advisory support to the Cawthron Institute Trust Board and Cawthron Foundation. She also guides the Foundation’s community engagement, philanthropic and education programmes. The role combines Elizabeth’s passion for science, a belief in philanthropy and the desire to see New Zealand prosper.

She is an independent consultant and her work has a focus on applied research, analysis, communications and business development.

She spends spare time with family, which includes two active teenagers, and is a keen participant in the offerings of the Nelson-Tasman region. Art, cycling, sailing and walking are passions.

Jeremy Glasgow
Trustee

Jeremy was born and educated in Nelson. He holds a law degree from the University of Canterbury and has practiced law since 1980, specialising in domestic conveyancing and estates, family law and relationship property.

Jeremy is also a District Inspector of Mental Health for Nelson/Marlborough, a Trustee of the He Matapuna Ora Trust, and a member of the Care and Protection Resources Panel (Child Youth and Family Service).

"Cawthron has been an important part of Nelson all of my life. As a child in the 1950s I visited the labs in Fellworth and the museum at Harley House, so when I was approached to be a trustee for the Foundation I was keen to take part and make a contribution."

Family and history are central pillars for Jeremy, and the Glasgow family has strong historic links in Nelson with yachting, law and council. Jeremy is married and has three adult sons, and in his spare time he relaxes by gliding, sailing, reading and spending time at the family bach at Torrent Bay.

Kevin Armstrong
Trustee

Kevin is graduate of Oxford University with an MA in Physics. However, for more than thirty-five years he has been following, working in, and writing about global financial markets, firstly with Merrill Lynch in London.

In 1996 he immigrated to Nelson, with his wife and three sons and until 2012 was Chief Investment Officer of ANZ and Chair of the ANZ Group’s Regional Investment Committee. Since leaving ANZ Kevin has continued to write a monthly global investment newsletter ‘Strategy Thoughts’ and has written three books, the most recent being ‘Investing: The Expectations Game’. In addition to writing Kevin is Director with the Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency and is a very keen golfer, a passion he combined with investing in his first book ‘Bulls, Birdies, Bogeys and Bears’.

He believes that Cawthron has an important role to play in providing independent science information and that the Foundation provides the opportunity for scientists and particularly younger scientists, to help address future science challenges.

Meg Matthews
Trustee

Meg’s commercial experience includes more than 10 years in senior management positions. Meg is a qualified accountant who started her career with Deloitte. Since then she has amassed a diverse and impressive track record of experience across key business disciplines of finance, human resource management, strategic planning, and marketing. She is a former CEO of World of Wearable Art (WOW) and was Head of Marketing (Australasia) for Air New Zealand.

In recent years, Meg has concentrated on governance and her current roles include: Director of Meridian Energy and Director of Mevo, Director of the Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency.

Meg grew up in the Bay of Islands and is of Ngai Tahu descent. She says that, “Cawthron is a place where we have leading scientists from around the world engaged in generating new ideas as well as near-to-application research. Research done here is making a difference to the economy, society, and environment in Nelson, New Zealand and the world.”

Richard Kempthorne
Trustee

Richard grew up in Eves Valley just outside of Brightwater on a mixed farm and orchard. He gained a BSc from Otago University, and after travelling overseas with his wife Jane, they purchased their Appleby orchard where they spent 21 years with their four children.

Richard was elected as a Tasman District Councillor in 2001, and elected Mayor of Tasman in 2007. He's a Cawthron Institute Trust Board Trustee, a Chair of the Tasman Regional Sports Trust, a member of the Land and Water Forum and a National Council member of Local Government New Zealand.

Richard particularly values the work Cawthron provides to the management of water in New Zealand and in quantifying the data on the LAWA website. "Their ability to work collaboratively across all sectors has helped immensely with innovation in water management".

A people-person by nature, when not in meetings Richard is found helping people through his local church, singing in a local choir, or mountain biking with friends.